A Night Together
by Moo Chapman
Summary: [Jericho] Jake and Heather get caught out in a storm


A Night Together

A Jericho Fan Fiction by Moo Chapman

The Green house was woken to the sound of a much panicked elementary school teacher pounding on the door. Of course the Green family was unaware of who it was but knew that it couldn't bode well that someone was coming to them this late in the night.

Jake Green, worried about the chance that whoever was on the other side of the door was not a friendly, grabbed his rifle as he ran out of his bedroom, pulling on a shirt as he moved. He made it to the front door before the rest of his family, his father and mother making it to the landing, April just a few steps above them.

Jake looked out the window and saw said panicked teacher, he put down his rifle, and opened the door.

"Heather?" Jake asked.

"One of my kids is missing." Heather announced just as the former mayor and his wife descended the final few steps

"Come in." Gail ordered, pushing Jake aside to allow Heather though the door, "Who's missing?" Gail asked as soon as Heather crossed the threshold.

"Liam McCormac, we can't even be sure how long he's been missing," Heather said, moving farther in to the house.

"Did he go missing from home or school?" Johnston Green asked.

"He told his parents that he was coming to school, but I haven't seen him in two days," said Heather.

"Two days and you didn't contact his parents?" Gail asked with a hint of disapproval and accusation.

"A lot of kids from farming families are coming in one or two days a week." Heather said, trying to defend her self to the Green family whom she respected greatly.

"The kids are more valuable on the farm than they are in school." Jake chipped in, defending Heather to his family

"It's not just that. A lot of them can't afford the fuel to bring them in every day, what little they have they need to work their land." Heather added, hoping that her assessment of the parents was more true then Jake's. "I wrote down all the names of all the kids that have been absent the same time as Liam and the kids that he is friends with. And I thought that if I could get some help that maybe we could ask the kids he plays with where he might have gone or which way he walks to school."

Jake and Johnston were both nodding "It's a good thing you fixed those radios" Jake said to Heather as Johnston retrieved the radio and contacted Eric.

"Can you ride?" Jake asked Heather.

"You mean a horse?" she asked hoping for clarification.

"Yeah," Jake confirmed.

"Yeah, I can" Heather said.

"The ranch isn't far from the McCormac place. I'll take Heather and we'll cover as much ground as we can on horseback. The nights are getting cold so we don't want this kid out there any longer then he has to be."

"Take one of the radios, we'll contact you if we find the boy," Johnston said handing his son one of the radios that Heather had practically rebuilt "I should tell Gray what's happening."

"I'm sorry; it didn't even occur to me, should I have gone to Mr. Anderson?" Heather asked. She couldn't believe that Jericho had voted to replace Johnston Green.

"Dad will take care of that, let's go." Jake said and took hold of Heather's hand.

"Keep a close eye on the weather, looks like it might storm." Johnston informed his son.

"You be careful" Gail ordered, handing Jake his coat "Keep an eye on each other and if that storm hits you find cover. You could catch your death of cold in this weather" Gail said, her 'mother tone' clearly audible.

"We will, mom," Jake assured her with a smile.

"Find the boy and come home" Johnston added. Jake nodded to his father, and turned to Heather and gave her hand a quick squeeze then let it go. He grabbed his keys and headed out the door, aware of Heather just a few steps beside him.

Jake drove out to the Green ranch at breakneck speed. Heather had one hand bracing herself on the door and the other on the dash.

"Scarin' you aren't I?" Jake asked her, looking over at her briefly, gracing her with a charming smirk.

"I can handle it." Heather shot back at Jake as he made a quick sliding turn, that almost turned Heather's comment into a lie, into what Heather assumed was the driveway of the Green Ranch.

The Ranch's driveway was quite long but with the speed that Jake was rocketing them down it, it wasn't long before Jake was pulling up in front of the Green Stables.

"If you like you can stay in the car while I catch and tack the horses." Jake offered as he shut off the car.

"I can't sit still while one of my kids…" Heather started but couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. Jake had known within minutes of meeting Heather that she adored her kids. Her inability to say aloud that one of her kids might be injured or dead just reinforced that fact in his mind. He really wanted to find this kid safe and well more for Heather's sake than the child's, as horrid as that sounded.

"Ok" Jake said, giving the distressed teacher the most reassuring smile that he could muster. He and Heather got out of the car, and Jake headed toward the stable but Heather didn't follow.

Heather wandered around the side of the stable and found an old truck. She smiled; her first thought was 'I wonder if I can fix it?' She moved over to the truck and lifted the hood and looked in at the engine. The truck had been sitting there for a long time by the look but of it she was sure that after some cleaning and a lot of time she could probably get it running. It would be a good way to thank Jake and his parents for their help tonight, parts might be a problem but not an insurmountable one.

"Heather?" Jake called. Heather lowered the hood and smiled at the car, then walked back around to the front of the stable where Jake was waiting with two fully tacked horses.

"Do I get an introduction?" Heather asked.

"Of course, Heather meet Aphrodite." Jake said and gestured to the small bay mare. "Agamemnon already knows me of course"

"A goddess of Olympus and a King of Greeks" Heather said and mounted the bay mare.

"My grandfather named all of his working animals after figures from Greek myth and history." Jake said and mounted the larger horse and turned to face his companion, with a smile that Heather could see even in the darkness. "He had a dog, that when it was a pup liked to bite ankles, I bet you can guess his name." he moved his mount in to a walk

"Achilles." Heather answered with a smile, and followed along behind him. She received a nod of confirmation.

When they got to the gate that would lead them off Green land Jake pulled up his horse "You see that rise in the ground just over there?" Jake asked, pointing to a rise about two hundred meters away.

"Yeah," Heather replied.

"On the other side of that rise is a cut of rocks. Eric and I used to play there when we were kids." Heather could tell by his tone that this wasn't just Jake just reminiscing and that he had more to say so she stayed quiet "There's a small opening between two rocks, there should be room enough for both of us if we need to get out of the storm." Heather nodded to Jake letting him know that she understood.

Through a display of skillful horsemanship Jake managed to open the gate, pass through, allow Heather to do the same and then close the gate after they passed through, all without having to dismount.

"This land belongs to the Chambers farm. On the other side of this is the McCormac farm, I'm guessing his parents looked around within a couple of miles of the farm house so we'll turn toward town after we get to their land."

They rode in silence across the Chambers land with Jake glancing up at the sky every now and then with a worried look. But soon enough they reached the gate on to the McCormac land.

After yet again displaying his horsemanship Jake opened and closed the gate as he closed the gate as they passed through "From here on out, we should put a little space between us, look for a sign of Liam".

"Good idea," Heather said and took up the reins to turn her mount when Jake's hand reached across and grabbed hers.

"Just be careful, horses don't see well in the dark." Jake said "I don't want anything to happen to you."

Heather blushed, grateful to the night as its darkness hid her blush "I'll be careful" she said, wishing that her embarrassment didn't show in her tone.

They had been riding along for a while calling out Liam's name every now and then, when they heard a burst of static come over the radio.

"Jake, it's Eric, you hear me?" Jake unhooked the radio from his belt.

"Yeah, I hear ya, what's the news?" Jake said. Heather moved over to Jake, so she could hear the news as well and ended up with her leg pressed against his.

"We found the boy," Eric's voice said though the radio.

"Oh thank god." Heather said, her relief was completely evident.

"That's great news, Eric. What's the boy's condition?"

"He's fine. He and another boy thought that it would be fun if they skipped school and went camping." Eric said.

"Alright, we're going to head back in." Jake said back in to the radio.

"It would probably be best if you two stayed out at the ranch tonight and saved driving home in the storm." Eric said, though the words might have made it sound like a helpful suggestion, the tone made it sound like an order.

Jake looked over at Heather quickly, she didn't catch the look but Jake decided in that moment that he had to get Heather back to her place tonight. Her eyes were wide with what Jake could only guess was panic.

"Only as a last resort." Jake said letting Heather see him looking at her this time. "I'd prefer to get Heather back to her place."

"Whatever you think is best." Eric said in a tone that made it clear what _he_ thought was best.

"If we head back a little faster we might beat the storm."

"Whatever you think is best" Heather echoed Eric, in the same tone that she had used four weeks ago when she had told him to watch out for 'Giant irradiated ants' She may as well have just said _'I'm nervous 'cause I like you and I'm a little scared because I'm not sure where this is going but I don't want you to know so I'm going to try to make you laugh'_ because Jake knew that was what she was doing.

"Just follow me close" Jake ordered.

"Lead the way" Heather said with more confidence then she felt.

Jake urged Agamemnon to a slow trot with a quick squeeze of his heels and heard Heather keep pace behind him. They only made it back to the edge of McCormac land before the heavens opened and cold heavy raindrops began to fall on the duo.

By the time they had made it through the gate and across the property separating the Green Ranch and the McCormac farm Jake and Heather's coats had become useless against the downpour.

By the time that they were through the gate and on to Green land they were soaked to the skin. Heather's fingers were numb and she had to keep looking down to make sure that she was still holding the reins and she couldn't stop herself from shaking. Jake had more body mass than Heather yet he wasn't faring any better than her.

Jake, in an attempt at chivalry, had maneuvered himself as close to Heather as he could, trying to act as a wind break for his companion. He doubted that it was doing any good but he felt better for trying. He should have come out here on his own; he never should have brought a city girl like Heather, no matter how capable, out on horseback in the night.

The rain had made it necessary for them to slow down. He really had to get Heather out of this rain before she caught cold. His father's illness had shown him how serious a once commonplace illness could become. He was not going to let that happen to Heather, he had to get her out of the rain, and into some dry clothes.

A lightning bolt struck the ground not far from where Jake and Heather were; spooking the horses, Agamemnon reared and bolted away. Jake managed to stay on for a short while but was thrown quickly enough. The colt was as stubborn and hardheaded as his rider and quite a bit bigger.

Heather came off Aphrodite at the mare's first attempt; she would have been fine if she hadn't happened to find the only rock in about twenty metres with her back. She spent a moment lying on her back trying to force the air back into her lungs, and then she suddenly remembered Jake. Her head throbbing and her back aching, Heather got up and started to head in the direction that she thought that Agamemnon had carried off Jake.

When she found him he was face down and not moving. She muttered a quick prayer for his safety as she rolled him over, and pressed her fingers to his neck to check for a pulse.

She felt nothing and for a moment she panicked, until she realized that she felt nothing because her fingers were completely numb. She stuck her fingers in her mouth and sucked on them, trying to get the blood moving and feeling back again. It stung badly but she kept it that way until she could be sure that she had feeling in them again.

She tried a second time to feel for his pulse, she felt the soft thudding against her fingers, and had never been more grateful for anything in her life. The soft pulse beneath freezing skin against her quickly chilling fingers was quite literally an answered prayer.

By the dull light of her small flashlight and the occasional illumination of the lightning cutting across the sky, Heather was able to see that when Jake had fallen he had hit his head leaving a cut above his right eye. Heather couldn't even tell how badly it was bleeding because the rain was washing away the blood before it had a chance to gather in the wound.

For a moment, completely panicked Heather could think of nothing else to do but to lift his head into her lap and try to shield him with her own body. If she didn't get the both of them out of the rain soon it would be the end of them.

"I'm so stupid" Heather said aloud to herself as she remembered Jake pointing out the rise in the ground and telling her about the cave where he and his brother had played. He had told her about it for just this reason. "I'm sorry Jake, but it's going to be okay now."

She remembered it was just before they passed through the gate off the Green ranch that Jake had pointed out the rise and the little cave beyond. Heather looked around herself trying her best to see it now. She couldn't see it but she had a fair idea where it was.

Heather linked her arms underneath Jake's shoulders, only now thinking of the danger she may have put him in earlier when she moved him, but knowing that he had to be moved or face death. She pulled Jake along the ground as best she could with his legs and feet dragging along behind them or in front of Heather as the case maybe. Thankfully she was not far wrong when she set out in the direction she thought that the cave was - it turned out she had only been a little off.

Just as Jake had told her on the other side of the rise there was a rock outcropping. Heather hated to do it but she had to lay Jake down on the ground in order to find the opening that Jake had told her about. It took a bit of looking for but she found it just as Jake had told her. She checked to make sure that it was empty and safe and finding that it was she went back to Jake.

She then went about the strenuous job of moving Jake into the Cave without hurting him further. It wasn't an easy task as the rocks around the cave were sharp and its entrance small, not to mention how much bigger Jake was in comparison to her.

When finally inside the cave Heather found that there was room enough for them to lay side by side but that it wasn't big enough for her to sit upright.

Heather shone her flashlight across the interior of the cave. Despite that fact that she couldn't sit upright the cave was quite a bit larger then she had imagined. It must have been quite something to play here as a child. It didn't seem to Heather that Jake and Eric had been the last to play here though.

Heather could see definite signs off digging both on the walls and the cave floor, someone had even reinforced the cave roof with timbers so it wouldn't collapse.

Heather hadn't even realized that she was shaking until she focused on the way that the flashlight beam was moving. It was thanks to the flashlight's shaking beam that Heather found a pile of what looked suspiciously like blankets. The pile was on Jake's far side down by his feet. Heather had to crawl cross Jake to get them, but found three slightly mouldy but still good blankets.

Heather knew that if she covered Jake and herself, with the blankets, as wet as they were quite people did, that she would have to remove both of their wet clothes before there was any chance that of them getting warm, and that their best chance of doing so would involve sharing body heat.

Not exactly what she had in mind when she admitted to herself that she wanted to get closer to Jake Green.

Trying her best not to over think the matter, Heather went about undressing Jake, trying her very best not to look at any of the flesh that she was uncovering. Not looking at him was one thing but not smelling him was a great deal harder. He smelt amazing, fresh, clean and incredibly male.

Heather may have lived a sheltered life, but not so sheltered that she had never had a boyfriend, and none of them had ever smelt half us good as Jake Green, and as far as Heather knew he was probably bathing in wash tubs like the rest of Jericho. He really had no right to smell so damn good.

"Focus Heather", She told herself and threw one of the blankets across Jake then spread another as best she could across the cave floor and rolled Jake onto it, ending up on the opposite side to which she started.

Heather did her best to dry Jake with the blanket that she had covered him with, not allowing herself to think about what she was actually rubbing. If she did she would be too embarrassed to actually save Jake's life. Once he was as dry as he was going to get Heather covered him with the last blanket.

Finding she had no other means of putting it off any longer, with a quick look at Jake to make sure that he was still out, Heather began to pull off her own clothes. When done she wrapped herself in the blanket. It wasn't really wet so she kept it wrapped it around herself and went to work tending to Jake's head wound.

She took her black tank top, which she had been wearing underneath several other layers, and folded it and started to wash up the blood. The shirt was plenty wet enough and the blood came away easily. The wound didn't look as bad as she first thought it to be, which worried her all the more.

If this wound wasn't what knocked Jake out then the chance was that something serious was wrong with him and that Heather could do nothing to help. Heather thought for a moment about getting dressed again and trying to find the horses. Jake perhaps would have a chance, he knew the land, but she would in all probability just get herself killed, leaving Jake out here with no one knowing where he was. That wouldn't do either of them any good.

In the end she could think of nothing more to do but place the folded wet shirt against the wound and hope that it was cool enough to do some good. After that she slipped underneath the blanket beside Jake lying close against his side, almost on top of him in fact. One hand underneath her head atop Jake's shoulder and the other running up and down his chest in an attempt to warm him, or at least that was what she told herself when she realized what she was doing.

Chilled, wet and hurting from her fall Heather let the combination of all that and the spreading warmth from Jake lull her to sleep, the biggest factor was probably the soft and constant thudding of Jake's heart not far from her head.

Jake woke up with his head pounding, his back aching and itching all over. It was the itching that alerted him to the fact that he was in fact naked. Even more shocking was that he was warmer then he had been in a very long time. That warmth was radiating from a person that was lying along his left side and across his chest.

A familiar scent and thick dark brown hair gave away the identity of the person who was keeping him so warm. Jake couldn't help but smile when he realized that his hand was on the soft and equally naked skin of Heather Lisinski.

Jake looked around him trying to figure out where he was and if possible how he got here. It took a moment but Jake realized that he must be in the very cave that he had told Heather to look for if they got caught in the storm which Jake was pretty sure was exactly what had happened. The cave had changed a fair bit since he had played here as a boy, but it had served them well last night and Jake was grateful he had thought to tell Heather about it. God only knows what would have happened to them if he hadn't.

The last thing that he remembered was a lightning strike spooking Agamemnon, causing the horse to bolt. After that there was nothing.

Jake remembered once seeing footage of a soccer game in Argentina, or something like that, of a lightning bolt striking the field, while the game was in play. While the bolt didn't hit any of the players it had knocked those closest to it out. Jake could only guess that was what had happened to him.

As to why he was naked, well both he and Heather had been soaked to the skin. If they had stayed in their wet clothes they would have developed dangerous fevers by now. It was very likely that Heather had saved his life last night. They were starting to make quite a habit of saving each others lives.

He had to think of a way to make up for what had **_almost_** happened with Emily. Heather could never know about it. Jake could deal with someone he cared about hating him, after all he had dealt with Emily's hatred for five years, but the idea of Heather falling out with Emily was too much. They were best friends, and that was not the kind of betrayal that one forgave in a best friend.

It wasn't an excuse but he'd had a lot to drink, and his past had been chasing him all day, in the shape of Jonah and his daughter. It would never come close to happening again, even if Roger hadn't returned.

"Heather," Jake said softly, worried that this wasn't going to be an easy awakening for Heather. She was probably going to be embarrassed when she woke up. It's one thing to undress a person and lay down beside someone in the darkness of the night in order to save their life but it was another thing entirely to wake up next to that person in the harsh light of the next morning. Heather had been uncomfortable and embarrassed seeing him getting out of the shower two months ago. This was bound to be worse. "Heather, baby you gotta wake up" Jake insisted.

Heather moaned and tried to burrow her head in to Jake's shoulder. Her leg, which was thrown over his, curled more tightly around his, which made it clear that although Jake had only just become aware of Heather's proximity and state of dress his body had been aware all along.

Jake shifted away from her, only just enough to hide the evidence of his arousal. Heather made another protesting sound against his movement but didn't follow him. "I know baby, but you gotta wake up," Jake said and gave her a little shake using the hand that was resting on her back. At which Heather made another sound. This one not a sleepy protests, but a painful whimper.

The sound planted a seed of worry in Jake. He lifted the blanket that covered both of them and found that Heather had apparently wrapped another blanket around herself. He must have slipped his hand inside Heather's blanket while they slept. Jake lifted that blanket too and saw that his companion's back was covered in a large bruise.

Had she been thrown too? Had she dragged him god knows how far and got into the cave hurting, wet and cold? This girl was truly a wonder.

"Heather baby, wake up, we have to get back" Jake said moving his hand off her injured back and resting it on her head and entwining his fingers in her hair. "Come on, wake up."

"Jake?" Heather's sleepy voice asked.

"Yeah, it's time to wake up," Jake said in reply.

"I hurt," Heather said lifting her head from its resting place on Jake's shoulder to look up in to Jake eyes.

"I know but we need to get up, and you need to tell me where my clothes are." That got Heathers attention. She sat up, pulling the blanket she had wrapped around herself tightly against herself and trying valiantly to hide her wince.

"I'm sorry Jake, but you were so wet, we both were, and I had to…" Heather started.

"Heather, it's okay. You did the right thing, you saved us both." Jake said and reached out and placed his hand on Heather's arm. Her arm was silken soft underneath his hand, and wasn't helping him rein in his libido any.

"Your clothes are over here" Heather said gesturing to a pile at her side. When she had undressed him she had placed them at his side, but when she rolled him onto the blanket she had ended up with his clothes beside her. "I didn't look, well I did, I mean I didn't have my eyes closed but, I didn't, you know, look."

Jake's soundless laugh stopped Heather's nervous babble, "It's okay, you did good, really." Jake's started to rub Heather's arm for just a moment then stopped when he realized that the heat that had come cross her flesh was from her spreading blush.

Jake reached across Heather, almost lying on top of her in order to get his clothes. "Sorry," Jake muttered his face very close to hers.

"I let the horses get away." Heather said, looking up at Jake from her position below him, not really sure what else to say. Jake smiled down at her, she smelt so good and her hair, a mess of chestnut hair, had dried in curls from the rain, he really wanted to kiss her.

He couldn't help himself. Jake lowered his mouth to hers and felt her gasp in surprise, then she lifted her head to deepen the kiss. Jake accepted the deepening of the kiss then the hand that had been on his jeans came back to support her head. His fingers once again losing themselves in her thick soft hair, he couldn't even remember when had enjoyed just kissing a girl this much, but it must have been in high school.

Jake's every sense was flooded with Heather, the feel of her, the smell of her and the taste. Jake pulled away from the kiss and repositioned the arm supporting his weight "If you had chased after the horses we would probably both be half way dead with cold." Jake stroked her cheek with his free hand. "They will more than likely have run back to the stables anyway."

"We should get dressed," Heather said. It was clear in her tone that she was uncomfortable. Jake moved from above Heather, but stayed close to her. His arm reached over her and he grabbed his jeans.

Still underneath the blanket, Jake pulled on his jeans, grimacing at the cold wet denim. It was not comfortable, even more so considering his state of arousal.

Heather reached over beside her and grabbed her shirt, exposing the full extent of the bruising on her back.

"Your back is bruised, were you thrown?"

"Yeah but the ground was pretty soft, from the rain." Heather said, Jake shook his head and reached over her again, this time reaching for his shirt.

"You are a horrible liar." Jake said with a smile, lying over her again. He rolled off and pulled his shirt on and Heather did the same.

"Yeah, well your head is bleeding." Heather said, as she pulled on her jeans underneath the blanket just as Jake had. Jake lifted his hand to his forehead and found it caked with blood.

Heather could now throw off the blanket and reached with some difficulty for her shoes and grabbed Jake's as well. They both pulled them on in silence.

Done with her shoes, Heather reached past Jake to where the tank top that she had used in place of an ice pack had fallen some time during the night. She picked it up and handed it to Jake.

"Thanks, but I don't think it will fit." Jake said with a smile and held it back out to her.

"It's to wipe your face." Heather informed him "It's caked with blood, you look a fright." The crooked smile that graced her lips induced a similar one in Jake.

Jake unfolded the shirt and proceeded to wash his face clean, he lowered it just in time to see Heather crawling out of the cave. The view Jake had from his position was pleasing to say the least, and he enjoyed every second of it.

It was times like these that Heather wished she was more like her best friend. Emily would have made a comment about knowing that Jake was staring at her ass, maybe ask him if he was enjoying the view, but Heather wasn't the type of person that could comfortably make a comment like that. It didn't stop her from enjoying the attention of course.

Once in the open air outside the cave Heather began to shiver as her wet clothes were exposed to the cold wind. Moments later Jake came out of the cave and took her hand. They started walking; Jake letting Heather set the pace, which was as quick as she could manage.

"I think there are some of my old work clothes at the ranch. I'm sure I can find something that will fit you." Jake offered, knowing that he was at the moment making good on his silent promise to make up for what almost happened "Not as good as a hot shower but the best I can offer."

Heather made no reply but granted him one of her shy smiles. He really did enjoy earning them.

It wasn't long until they were at the Ranch house and Jake lost no time in rushing Heather, whose lips were now blue, inside and up into the bedroom that had always been his whenever he stayed here. He opened a chest of drawers and pulled out a pair of jeans, a plaid shirt and a white tee for her to wear, handed them to her and then dived in to the drawers once more only to come up empty.

"I'm going to go try to find you a pair of socks. I'll knock." Jake said yet again when he got no reply. He was beginning to wonder if maybe he shouldn't have kissed her in the cave. He left the room and went out to his car and grabbed his bag.

The stable was closer to the car than the house so he simply changed in there, a pair of jeans, a grey tee shirt and a deep red work shirt over the top. He pulled out two pairs of socks, the only pairs that were in his bag. They both had holes in them, the reason that they were still clean no doubt. On Heather the hole would probably sit above her ankle. Jake put on the dry socks and then put his boots on.

Jake earned himself a smile when he apologized for the hole, but again Heather said nothing. Moments later Heather and Jake were making their way to Jake's car. Once there Jake just stood leaning against the car, rubbing his eyes.

"Would you walk over to the stable and take a look around for me?" Jake asked.

"Are you alright?" Heather asked stepping closer to him, her concern obvious. Jake smiled, relieved to see that her concern hadn't completely disappeared.

"I'm okay," Jake said. Heather nodded, and though still visibly concerned, she turned and walked over to the stable. She did a lap around the stable and returned to Jake at the car.

"The horses aren't there." Heather announced.

"Give them some time, they'll come back." Jake said, with a smile. "I need you to do something else for me."

"Anything." Heather offered.

"Drive?" he asked holding out his keys. Heather's concern jumped up even higher and it showed on her face, but she took the keys. Jake pushed himself off the driver's side of the car and walked around the back of the car to the passenger side.

Heather started the car and began the journey back to Jericho proper. Jake reached over and took her hand for a moment. "Thank you."

"If the horses don't come back, I'll give your parents my truck, I'll fix it up first." Heather said "Make sure that it's running ok."

"Heather, the horses running off wasn't your fault, and neither my parent nor me are going to take your truck. I'd have done the same thing in your place and the horses would still be missing. That's the end of it Heather."

"It's not the end Jake. I thought that I taught my kids better then this." Heather said hitting the steering wheel with the palm of her right hand. "You were very nearly killed, Jake, pure luck that I wasn't injured. All because one of my kids thought it would be ok to lie to his parents, and take off to god knows where."

"Heather, none of that is your fault," Jake insisted "You saved my life last night."

"I'm less angry about what could have happened to us, than I am about what could have happened to them." Heather explained looking over at Jake intermittently as she drove, the road being clear she had little trouble. "The world we live in is dangerous, it was before the bombs but now, anything could have happened to them. They could have been killed by a refugee for a bottle of water. How could I not teach them this? How could I not prepare them?"

"Now you will." Jake insisted taking her hand again and this time not letting it go. "You are the only teacher that comes in every day, whether the students are there or not, you have taken on students from both above and below your class. You're teaching over thirty kids. Emily told me that you were spending nights at the high school so you could use the tools to get the radios working. You can't do everything for everyone Heather."

Heather pulled in to the car park at the medical center. Jake looked over at Heather then at the Med Center "Jake, you were unconscious for most of the night, you need to see a doctor." Jake nodded and climbed out of the car, Heather close behind him.

Jake attempted to open the Med Centre door for Heather but after two failed attempts to reach for the door, he took a step closer and was able to get the door open. He made an 'after you' gesture and Heather preceded him though the door.

One of the nurses, Judy, spotted the two of them as they entered through the clinic's entrance and promptly went to get Doctor Green. April came running when she heard that her brother-in-law was injured.

"Your mother was out of her mind with worry." April said, inspecting the head wound on Jake's forehead.

"He was unconscious for a while but I'm not sure how long." Heather informed April.

"Traitor." Jake muttered without venom, "She's in no better shape, examine Heather first." Jake insisted.

Heather looked like she was going to argue but when she saw the look that Jake was giving both her and April she gave up. April nodded too and they both headed toward the exam room. It wasn't long before April stuck her head out of the room and called for Jake.

Jake entered the room just as Heather finished buttoning up the shirt that Jake had given her. "You should stay." Jake said as Heather pushed off the exam bed, "You know more about what happened than I do, I slept through most of it."

"I can dress this, but I can't stitch it." April said as she cleaned Jake's wound.

"I'm guessing that his eyesight is a little blurry, he had me drive." Heather said as she sat down in the guest seat.

"Really?" April asked, intrigued.

"I would have told you." Jake insisted.

"I bet." April said sarcastically, then turned around to face Heather "Anything else I should know? Did he throw up?"

"No, does he have a fever?"

"No fever, but I'm pretty sure that he has mild concussion. I'd like to keep you both here, but I don't have the beds and Gail used to be a nurse."

"Why does Heather need to stay here?" Jake asked, his concern coming out in his tone.

"She has a slight fever. Normally it I wouldn't pay it any mind but…" April didn't have to finish, Jake started to nod "I just want to keep an eye on it overnight. I'm not happy about having to release you either, but I'm not sure I can even find a bed for Heather. Or the linen to put on it."

"Why don't you have linen?" Heather asked as she watched April finishing up with Jake.

"A lot of the housekeeping staff have stopped coming in. I have nurses washing sheets." April said, shaking her head, "It's not their job and I hate having to ask it of them." April pulled off her latex gloves. "I'm going to see if I can find a bed for Heather. Be warned that if I find two you're both staying. I'll send someone to tell your mom to pick you up,"

"I can't believe that I have to wait for my Mommy to pick me up." Jake said as April made her way out of the door, Heather gave a soft laugh.

"You were being very compliant with April." Heather said.

"My mother always told me to never argue with drunks or pregnant women." Jake said with a smile.

"Does Eric know?" Heather asked.

"Yeah, but I don't think that any one else does."

"No one will hear a word from me" she promised.

"Come here," Jake ordered gently. Heather got up and moved across to him. Jake laid down on the exam bed and pulled Heather down with him, she joined him without a struggle. "If I pushed you in the cave I'm sorry." Once they were settled they ended up in roughly in the same position as last night.

"You didn't push. I just… I'm not good with adults." Heather said shyly, her head on Jake's shoulder and not looking up at him.

"You're doing fine," Jake said, "try to get some sleep."

"Jake? What is this?" Heather asked, her eyes closed.

"The beginning" Jake said, stroking her hair and hating himself for the cheesy-ness of his words.

When April came in twenty minutes later to inform Heather that she had found a bed for her she found her patient sleeping peacefully in the arms of her brother-in-law. Jake gave her a smile. April simply nodded and left the exam room, making a mental note to check on them in an hour.

Squeal at request


End file.
